Focus T25

I have been on the fence about this program for a long time. I couldn’t decide from the information and trailer that Beachbody provided whether I really wanted this program or not. That didn’t stop me from following (and bidding) on it on Ebay many times over the past few years. I always lost the bids tho because the price quickly escalated out of my price range. I won P90X3 super cheap (finally!) and decided it just wasn’t in the cards for me to own Focus T25. So I just stopped trying. I even deleted it from my ebay following tab. Then, due to a comment on this blog, I decided to try again. And I won it super cheap! The first time I bid! So things have apparently changed.

I now own Focus T25 Alpha, Beta and Gamma. The idea behind this program (and many other programs out there these days) is fast results in less time. Now, I cannot give a truly accurate review of this or any other program like it. That is because I workout longer than 25 minutes a day. So when I do these programs they are always combined with other things. But since I do workout consistently I can gauge their level and intensity, as well as what I notice about myself while I am doing them. I can compare them to other workouts and programs and share whether I like them or not. So that’s what you will get in this review. No before and after. I did not approach these workouts as a weight loss program so I didn’t follow the diet plan or tape measure myself before starting.

What I can say with confidence applies to any program, not just this one. If you want results, two things are crucial–consistency and diet. All of those amazing before and after pictures you see that inspire you to purchase these programs are never due to the workouts alone. They are also due to what the person puts in their mouth. They worked out consistently and stopped eating crap. If you are inspired by their weight loss because that is your goal then you have to also create a calorie deficit–just like they did–to achieve similar results.

Since I bought this program used off of Ebay, I am not sure I received everything. However, looking at the breakdown on Beachbody’s website, it looks like I did get everything except for the resistance band.

Alpha Phase contains 5 workouts, Beta Phase contains 5 workouts and Gamma Phase contains 4 workouts. You also get a bonus stretch workout, a nutrition guide, rotation calendars and some other little guides–fast track, quick start, etc. The setting for the workouts is a big room with “T25” on the back wall. After doing the workouts, I now know the “T” stands for the T in Shaun T’s name and the “25” is the length of the workouts. However, the workouts are not actually 25 minutes long. Each workout is exactly 25 minutes, however they all have a short stretch at the end anywhere from 2-3:30 minutes long. So the workouts are closer to 30 minutes. For every workout (except one in Gamma) there is a modifier–just like in Insanity: Max 30. So anyone can do these workouts–even someone completely out of shape and new to exercise can work their way up. Start with the modifier in Alpha Phase and do the workouts until you are capable of doing Alpha Phase (non-modifier) and then keep working your way up. However, I have to add that there is a modifier in Beta and Gamma phases, too, that is doing beginner level moves (so the modifier in Beta and Gamma is doing exercises that are easier than the regular moves in Alpha), so you can basically do the entire program at beginner level if you always follow the modifier. Also, for the workouts that use dumbbells there is a second modifier who uses the band instead of dumbbells. His name is Andy and I think it is Andy Speer from Anarchy!

In the bottom left hand corner of the screen in every workout is a timer with all sorts of information. First you get a count down of the workout time. So it starts at 25 minutes and counts down from there. Then you get the name of every exercise you are doing. There is a bar that shrinks–timing how long you have left to do the exercise you are currently doing so you know when you are close to being done with it. And finally, a few seconds before you are done with an exercise, the box changes colors and you are notified of what exercise is coming up next. Now, because the workouts provide all of this information, that is how the reviews will be structured. I will use the exercise names used in the program for each exercise in the breakdown and I will only describe the move if I feel the T25 name is not self-explanatory.

Review structure: I will be breaking down the program by Phase. So for each Phase I will give a summary of my thoughts on the Phase as a whole, then I will review each workout within that phase. Since the Stretch workout isn’t part of any phase, I will just break it down first, before I delve into any of the phases. Finally, I will give a summary of the program as a whole. Since Alpha and Beta come together as the “base” program, I will summarize that first, then follow with a summary of the program with Gamma, since that phase costs extra.

Alpha & Beta Summary: These two phases are the base program. I know a lot of people wonder what the level of this program is, especially since Shaun T is best known for his Insanity workouts, which are super advanced. If you are looking for something easier than Insanity, you have come to the right place with T25. Alpha and Beta phases are not advanced. They are both intermediate level–some workouts in both phases are low intermediate, some workouts in both phases are a higher level of intermediate. Beta workouts are more intense than Alpha workouts but, other than Speed 2.0, they are not a huge jump in level. The abdominal workouts are different levels–Ab Intervals in Alpha is a lot easier than Dynamic Core in Beta. And Speed 1.0 is much easier than Speed 2.0 (that workout is a big jump in level–which makes me fear Gamma’s Speed 3.0!). In Alpha, any strength work you do is bodyweight based and in Beta you use dumbbells. What concerns me about Beta is that many people who come to these programs may just mimic Shaun T and his exercisers. They are all using pretty light dumbbells. In order to get real, beneficial strength work, you will have to have a larger variety of dumbbells and use heavier dumbbells for some of the exercises, rather than using the same set of dumbbells for every single exercise like Shaun T and his exercisers do. Obviously, if you are a beginner, then lift whatever challenges you–even if that is 5 pound dumbbells. If that is really challenging you, then that is what you should use–just make sure you are actually being challenged, particularly if you use this program as it is laid out. If you are doing Beta for an entire month, then by the time you get to the final week of Beta, you should need to increase the weight of the dumbbells you are using to still be challenged rather than sticking with the exact same weight of dumbbells for the entire month. The reviews below were written as I progressed through the program and this summary is being written after doing all of the workouts in Alpha and Beta. At one point below I stated that this program could possibly prepare you to being able to do Shaun T’s Insanity workouts. I take that back now–at least not Alpha and Beta, that is. None of these workouts (except Speed 2.0) will actually prepare you for the intensity and advanced level of an Insanity workout. However, you could still move to Insanity: Max 30. But that is because Max 30 is the only Insanity program (at least at this point in time) that includes a modifier. So in Max 30, just like in T25, there is always an easier version of every exercise you can do if you follow the modifier.

Program Summary (Gamma included): Now I have done them all: Alpha, Beta and Gamma. As a whole, this is an excellent program. Gamma is more advanced than Alpha and Beta, so if you are out of shape you should definitely start at the beginning and work your way up. Gamma is more strength focused. There are two rotation calendars included with Gamma. One is Gamma workouts only and the other mixes things up with Alpha and Beta. I really enjoyed this whole program but, at least at this point in time, I probably will not return to all of the workouts. They just don’t fit in with the way I currently workout. But some of them I will definitely return to and in various ways. Here are the ones I will be using again: Alpha:  Cardio, Total body Circuit and Lower Focus; Beta: RIP’T Circuit and Core Cardio; Gamma: RIP’T Up and Extreme Circuit. Also–all of the Speed workouts from all 3 phases. Beta Upper Focus I am on the fence about. I will probably give it one more go as a finisher for an upper body workout and lift heavier weights than I did when doing it the first time. That will help me decide if it is worth returning to. Though I like the core workouts, I just don’t have any desire to work my core for 25 minutes straight. Not fun for me. Finally, I didn’t like Gamma Pyramid–so I won’t be returning to that one. So it looks like the majority of the workouts in the program will get a lot of use with me! Does T25 prepare you for Insanity? Not really. Maybe Speed 2.0 and Speed 3.0 will give you an idea–but none of the workouts, including the Speed workouts, were anywhere near as intense as an Insanity workout.

Stretch: The stretch wasn’t exactly what I expected. It was and it wasn’t. It is 25 minutes long, just like all of the other workouts, but there is obviously no cool down stretch. Since T25 is an “easier” workout program than Shaun T’s Insanity programs, I expected the stretch to also be more… relaxing. Maybe something more along the lines of Asylum Vol 1‘s Relief. But it was actually more along the lines of Insanity‘s Cardio Recovery workout–at least the first half. Now, I do have to confess, I did not come to this workout cold. I had just completed Cathe‘s High Reps workout, which is exhausting. So my legs and upper body were still burning when I started Stretch. I was hoping for a relaxing stretch. Instead, you are holding many “stretches” isometrically for a long time so that it actually felt like bodyweight strength work! My legs were burning during some of the stretch-holds. However, once you get to approx. the second half, it starts to seem more like a stretch workout. More relaxing.

1. Alternating knee holds (standing)
2. Control knee hold (still standing, hold the knee into the chest longer this time)
3. Alternating straight leg kick
4. Calf stretch
5. Squat + hip flexor (L) (alternate squatting and then lunging back; when you lunge back you press your hip forward to stretch the hip flexor)
6. Hip flexor hold (L) (hold in that lunge position, pressing hip forward)
7. Hip flexor (L) + arms up
8. Squat + hip flexor (R)
9. Hip flexor hold (R)
10. Hip flexor (R) + arms up
11. Lateral lunge (L) (side lunges, touching opposite hand to foot)
12. Lateral lunge hold (L) (hold in side lunge)
13. Center hold + touch floor (wide leg forward fold, hands on thr ground)
14. Lateral lunge (R)
15. Lateral lunge hold (R)
16. Center hold + touch floor
17. Cradle knee hug (L) (standing, bend leg and grab knee in same side hand and foot on opposite hand and pull up)
18. Prayer hands (L) (from cradle knee hug position, place ankle on opposite knee/thigh, squat down on one leg w/ prayer hands)
19. Cradle knee hug (R)
20. Prayer hands (R)
21. Flat back V hold (wide straight leg forward fold w/ arms held out straight over head)
22. Torso twist (from #21 position, bring one hand to floor and raise the other arm to the ceiling, twisting torso)
23. Cat cow (still standing, but in squat)
24. Elbow squat hold (deep plie squat with elbows pressed against inside of knees)
25. Down dog + knee in (L) (raise left leg into air (3 leg dog) then bring knee to same side elbow)
26. Down dog + calf stretch (L) (cross right foot over left heel/calf and stretch the calf)
27. Down dog + knee in (R)
28. Down dog + calf stretch (R)
29. Child’s pose
30. Table top + arm reach (on hands and knees, alternate reaching one arm out in front of you)
31. Spider static stretch (deep runners lunge, back knee off floor; alternate sides)
32. Low pigeon (L) (laying forward while in pigeon)
33. “S” torso (L) (like a pretzel, twist torso over front leg)
34. “S” quad (L) (from the same position as #33, grab back foot w/ same side hand and pull up)
35. High pigeon (L)
36. Low pigeon (R)
37. “S” torso (R)
38. “S” quad (R)
39. High pigeon (R)
40. Bent knee hip up (bridge pose–raise and lower hips)
41. Hip up hold (hold bridge with fingers interlocked under hips and shoulder pulled back)
42. Single leg knee hold (while laying on back, bring knee into chest and hold/pull on it w/ hands)
43. Dual knee hold (same as #42 but bring both legs into chest)
44. Knee crossover stretch (figure 4 glute stretch)

Alpha Phase: I have now done all the workouts in the Alpha phase and I think they are all great workouts. Since the only Shaun T workouts I have ever done before T25 are Insanity workouts, I cannot help but compare them to that. Alpha is definitely no Insanity. They are all great and relatively intense workouts. But they are all doable from beginning to end without ever having to take personal breaks to choke your heart back down in your chest. However, they are not beginner level workouts (unless you are following the modifier); neither are they advanced. They are intermediate level workouts. T25 Alpha is definitely a good place to start if you are eventually wanting to try Shaun T’s Insanity workouts. At this point I can only assume Beta and Gamma are going to get much harder, so by the time you finish Gamma you might be ready for some Insanity. Even tho I love my Insanity workouts, I don’t want to do them every day–too hard. I do not enjoy brutalizing myself like that on a daily basis. But T25 Alpha I could definitely do every day as a doubles workout or as a finisher after another workout.

Cardio: This was the first T25 workout I did and I had two initial thoughts. 1. Shaun T is cute with hair! (he’s cute w/out hair, too, btw) and 2. this is definitely not Insanity. It seemed ridiculously easy at first. But then, as the workout progressed, I started to rethink that assumption. It never did get to Insanity level but I was sucking wind! Which leads me to how this workout is structured. First, it is one move after the other, no breaks. You do each move for approx. 30 seconds. The exercises are set up in a progression. You can tell by looking at the first few moves–you start with alternating knee lifts, then you continue this move but you get up your toes, that changes to a jog and this segment ends in high knee run–the most intense version of the move. Everything in this workout is a series of progressions. But then, after doing several progressions, you do a “Burn Out.” What this means is you do all of the most advanced versions of each progression you just finished, one right after the other. That gets pretty intense! However, as soon as you finish a Burn Out you start a new progression, so that first exercise in the progression doubles as an active recovery. Overall, this was an excellent and surprisingly intense cardio workout.

Exercises:

1. Alternating knee lift
2. Still alternating knee lift, but lift onto toes
3. Slow control jog
4. High knee jog
5. Jack feet
6. Double jack feet (hop out 2, in 2)
7. Double jack feet adding arms
8. Basic jumping jack
9. Pivot lunge + step in (lunging side to side)
10. Pivot lunge + hop (hopping side to side into lunge)
11. Pivot lunge + touch knee (same as #10 but tap knee w/ opposite hand)
12. Pivot lunge + touch floor (same as 11 & 12 but now you tap the floor)
13. Heel tap up & back left leg
14. Heel tap up & back right leg
15. Lateral sprint
16. Lateral mountain climbers (this is standing mountain climbers so high knee run with arms pulling down like climbing and you run side to side)
17. Jump rope
18. Jump rope up and back (forward and back)
19. Jump up and back slow (bigger jumps)
20. Half tuck jump (very shallow but fast tuck jumps)
21. Burn Out: Back jumping jacks
22. Burn Out: Pivot lunge + touch the floor
23. Burn Out: Lateral mountain climber
24. Burn Out: Half tuck jump
25. Control squat (slow)
26. Hop squat (remain in squat while doing small hops)
27. Hop hop up and back (hop 2x forward and 2x back)
28. Hop hop squat (same as #28 but side to side)
29. On your mark + sprint left (come down like you are getting ready to take off in a sprint, hand of floor, then fast sprint)
30. On your mark + sprint right
31. On your mark + up down left (touch the floor and hop up, bringing back heel forward)
32. On your mark + up down right
33. Low kicks
34. Low kicks on toes
35. Low switch kicks
36. High switch kicks
37. Running lunge (scissor runs)
38. Split lunge agility (scissor runs but you bring feet back together between each scissor)
39. Jack feet in and out
40. Speed + Agility (combine #39 & 40)
41. Burn Out: hop hop squat
42. Burn Out: On your mark + up down left
43. Burn Out: On your mark + up down right
44. Burn Out: High switch kick
45. Burn Out: Speed + Agility
46. Hop up + back (hop forward and backward)
47. Hop side + side
48. Alternate speed knee slow (fast alternating high knee raises)
49. Alternating speed knee faster
50. High knee run
51. Slow control jog (Hiesmans)

Cool down (2:25 minutes).

Speed 1.0: This workout is definitely a big departure from Insanity. I actually liked it a lot. It is less intense then Cardio but still a nice little cardio workout. The focus seems to be doing some pretty fast foot work alternated with stretching. In addition, most of the stretching is stability based–so you will be balancing on one leg while stretching. It’s almost like a true HIIT workout–intense cardio blasts alternated w/ recovery. Except the cardio isn’t HIIT level, but some of it is intense. I really enjoyed this workout a lot. I guess you could look at #1-6 as a warm up then starting w/ #6 you do each exercise for one minute and each stretch for 30 seconds until the Burn Out. Each Burn Out move is done for one minute and the final move–Stretch + Agility, is done for one minute.

Exercises:

1. Slow jog
2. Hop hop turn (very fast little hops as you turn to the side)
3. Hop hop hook (same as #2 just add a hook when you are turned to the side)
4. Hop hop squat (same as #3 except add a squat when you hook)
5. Jog it out
6. Up + over (this is like a knee raise but tap the toe on the outside of other foot–so kind of like a dance move)
7. Quad stretch
8. Burpee + alternating front kick
9. Prayer hands knee bend (standing figure 4 stretch w/ prayer hands)
10. Side hop upper cut
11. Side lunge stretch
12. Low crossjack (feet are cross jacking and bent arms are crossing in front of you)
13. Hip flexor hold stretch
14. Zigzag hop (hop side to side 4 times + 2 hopping knee raises)
15. Control knee hold stretch (pull knee into chest and hold while standing)
16. Squat thrust + cross-cross (Squat and cross arms in front of you, hop and cross arms again, then do 4 cross-cross jacks)
17. Leg crossover stretch
18. Heisman Crossword + clap (1-2-3 Heisman moving to right, 1-2-3 Heisman moving back to start, 1-2-3 Hesiman moving back, 1-2-3 Heisman moving back to start; about halfway through add a clap under knee when knee comes up in Heisman)
19. Flat back roll up stretch
20. Criss-cross + jump (one cross-cross jack + one hop) halfway through the hop changes to Crisscross + half tuck jump
21. Hip flexor calf stretch
22. Slow quick jab combo (two slow jabs each arm then lower into squat and do 8 fast alternating jabs)
23. Chest opener stretch
24. Burn Out: Up + over
25. Burn Out: Burpee + alternate front kick
26. Burn Out: Side hop upper cut
27. Burn Out: Low cross jack
28. Burn Out: Zigzag hop
29. Burn Out: Squat thrust + criss-cross
30. Burn Out: Heisman Crossword
31. Burn Out: Heisman Crossword + clap
32. Burn Out: Criss-cross hop
33. Burn Out: Criss-cross + half tuck jump
34. Burn Out: Slow quick jab combo
35. Stretch + agility (flat black forward stretch with wide legs, hold for a moment, hop back to plank then to down dog, come back to plank, jump feet back in but wide, and roll up to standing)

Cool down (2:25 minutes).

Total Body Circuit: This was a pretty tough workout–probably the toughest of the Alpha workouts I’ve done so far. Still not Insanity level but it got pretty challenging. What saves these workouts (the Alphas at least) from being Insanity level is the progression principal. You always start at the easiest version of an exercise, which serves as a recovery after finishing the hardest version of the exercise that preceded it. Until you get to the Burn Out that is–then it is the most challenging version of each exercise done one right after the other. To work total body this workout focuses a lot on squats and plank based moves. Each exercise in this workout is done for 30 seconds except the very last exercise; it is done for a full minute. At the end of this workout is a different type of stretch from what was at the end of Cardio and Speed 1.0. It uses the PNF principal (proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation). PNF is passive stretching alternated with isometric stretching. All this means is contracting the muscle then relaxing and stretching even deeper.

1. Alternating knee lift
2. Lift on toes
3. Slow control jog
4. High knee jog
5. Hop hop turn (very fast little hops as you turn to the side)
6. Jump rope run
7. Hop hop hook (same as #5 just add a hook when you are turned to the side)
8. Hop hook squat (same as #7 except add a squat when you hook)
9. Shoulder tap left (while in plank)
10. Shoulder tap right
11. Left-right push up (tap right shoulder, tap left shoulder, push up)
12. Tap push up (tap one shoulder, push up, tap other shoulder, push up)
13. Alternating front lunge
14. Front lunge + squat (alternating front lunge + jump squat)
15. Front lunge + 2 squat (alternating front lunge + 2 jump squats)
16. Lunge squat progression (jump lunge to side, jump squat in center, jump lunge to other side)
17. 2 + 2 jab (2 jabs each arm)
18. 2 + 2 in & out jab (turn to side; 2 jabs, jump switch, 2 jabs, switch jump)
19. 2 + 2 moving jab (2 jabs while doing jack feet, then jump switch (fast) and do the same on other side)
20. Plank hold
21. Plank  walk (walk side to side in plank)
22. Plank walk + in & out abs (plank walk to one side, jump feet in (wide–on either side of hands) and back, plank walk to other side and jump wide feet in to hands)
23. Plank walk + squat hold (same as #22, but lift hands off the floor so you are in squat)
24. Sprint it out
25. Power squat (jump squat)
26. Sprint + power squat
27. Sprint turn + squat center
28. Walk feet in & out (while in plank, walk feet in to count of 4 so you are in pike then walk feet back out to plank to count of 4)
29. 3 hops in & out (from plank hop feet in 3x to pike, then hop back out to plank)
30. 2 hops in & out (same as #29 but to count of 2)
31. Pike up (one hop–from plank to pike)
32. Left side squat (a basic squat facing to your left)
33. 180 hop squat
34. 180 hop squat + floor touch (tap floor w/ finger tips)
35. 180 hop squat + burpee (2 180 squat jumps, burpee and hold in plank then jump back in and repeat)
36. Alternating spider lunge (while in plank, alternating bringing feet to outside of same side hand)
37. Spider lunge + push up
38. Spider push up (while foot is beside hand do a push up)
39. Oblique knee push up Do a push up while bringing knee to same side elbow, alternate sides)
40. Burn Out: Tap push up
41. Burn Out: Lunge squat progression
42. Burn Out: 2 + 2 moving jab
43. Burn Out: Plank walk + squat hold
44. Burn Out: Sprint turn + squat center
45. Burn Out: Pike up
46. Burn Out: 180 hop squat + burpee
47. Burn Out: Oblique knee push up
48. Burn Out: Floor sprints (mountain climbers)
49. Burn Out: Body Run (scissor feet & arms–this is the only move you do for a full minute)

Cool down 3:15 minutes.

Ab Intervals: This was definitely not what I expected from a Shaun T workout. It wasn’t easy… exactly. However, it was the easiest of the T25 workouts I’ve done so far. I will say the ab work did start to get challenging, but overall it was very doable. I did like this workout and would even go so far as to say I enjoyed it, but I do not like core work so much that I want to do 25 minutes of it. There were some interesting moves. I’m a little undecided whether I will ever return to this workout. I did like it, I felt like it worked my core well and I really liked the cardio recoveries, but again–25 minutes of core work just seems excessive to me.

1. Child’s pose + plank
2. Down dog + plank
3. Down dog + spider lunge (alternate legs)
4. Down dog + oblique knee (alternate legs)
5. Low plank hold
6. Side plank hold (L)
7. V sit + arms down (palms on the floor)
8. Side plank hip up/down (L)
9. Low plank pulse
10. Side plank hold (R)
11. V sit + arms up (arms held over head)
12. Side plank hip up/down (R)
13. Cardio recovery: Alternating speed knee slow (like a high knee skip)
14. Alternating straight leg lift (lay flat on back and keep one heel on floor while you lift other leg straight, head and neck raised; alternate legs)
15. Same arm + same leg (R) (same as #14 but tapping fingertips to toe, doing the same arm/leg)
16. Same arm + same leg (L)
17. Both arms + both legs (raise both arms and touch toes, legs straight, heels come to floor at bottom of move)
18. Cardio recovery: T shuffle (fast sprint forward then back then shuffle/hop feet fast side to side)
19. Scissor leg + heels up (scissor straight legs, palms on floor, heels do not touch the floor, head/neck raised)
20. Same side (R) + heels up (same as #15 but heels raised 6 inches off floor)
21. Same side (L) + heels up
22. Both sides + heels up (same as #17 but both heels 6 inches off floor at bottom of move)
23. Cardio recovery: Hop hop squat
24. Alternating heel tap slow (sit on mat with legs straight in front of you, palms on ground beside hips; bend one knee, bringing heel close to bottom and tapping ground then straighten; alternate legs)
25. Dual heel tap slow (same as #24 but do both legs/heels at the same time)
26. Dual straight leg lift (in same position, raise and lower both straight legs)
27. Alternating single leg v hold (get into a V sit but with one leg bent and foot on ground; you hold then switch legs when Shaun tells you to)
28. Cardio recovery: Sprint turn + squat center
29. Alternating heel tap fast (bicycle legs while in V sit, palms on ground beside hips, heels tap the floor)
30. Dual heel tap + 6-inch hold (same as #29 but bring both feet in and out at same time–slowly)
31. Alternating single leg v lift (same as #27 but hands raised off ground and held out straight beside body
32. Cardio recovery: Speed knee kick (L) (hopping on right leg while kicking left leg in and out while keeping knee at waist height)
33. Cardio recovery: Speed knee kick (R)
34. Superman
35. Lat pulldown (lat pull down arms while in superman–so legs raised off ground)
36. Straight arm fly (bring straight arms overhead and all the way to bottom while still in superman)
37. Rocketman (superman but with arms at side, palms facing ceiling)
38. Cardio recovery: Lateral mountain climber (standing slow mountain climber, moving side to side)
39. Plank toe tap in + out (in elbow plank, bring one toe in under body then back out to plank, alternate legs)
40. Plank feet up + back (walk both legs in then both legs back to plank)
41. Up + back + V up (same as # 40 but while feet are “in” straighten legs into pike)
42. Plank V up (while in elbow V up, bend and straighten legs, lowering knees to a few inches off mat)
43. Cardio recovery: Sprint + table top (table top is Warrior 3; alternate sides)
44. Wide in + out ab pyramid (start standing w/ legs wide; lower hands to floor and jump feet out to narrow plank, jump them back in (but legs wide) and stand; repeat but this time jump feet out twice; repeat but this time jump feet out 3x–and just keep repeating until you are jumping out 7 times)
45. High knee jog
46. Slow control jog

Cool down (3:39).

Lower Focus: Ok, so maybe this was the toughest of the Alpha workouts. Not sure. It is tough in a different way from Total Body Circuit. This workout is the perfect example of bodyweight strength work at its finest. Shaun T totally burns your lower body out. In fact, the progression principal in this workout didn’t always seem as much of a recovery as it is in the other workouts. When your legs are already fried, going straight into another leg exercise still hurts! I actually did really like this workout. We’ll see how my legs feel tomorrow. I finished the workout over an hour ago and right now, my hamstrings are still feeling it!

1. Alternating knee lift
2. Lift on toes
3. Slow control jog
4. High knee jog
5. Jack feet
6. Double jack feet
7. Double jack + arms
8. Basic jack
9. Basic squat
10. Squat pulse
11. Basic squat + arms up
12. Control squat jump (arms still raised above head)
13. Calf raise (L) (balance move)
14. Calf hop + arms up (L)
15. Calf raise (R)
16. Calf hop + arms up (R)
17. Narrow lunge (L)
18. Wide lung (L)
19. Deep lunge pulse (L)
20. Deep lunge hold (L)
21. Narrow lunge (R)
22. Wide lunge (R)
23. Deep lunge pulse (R)
24. Deep lunge hold (R)
25. Burn Out: Control squat jump
26. Burn Out: Calf hop + arms up (L)
27. Burn Out: Calf hop + arms up (R)
28. Burn Out: Deep lunge pulse (L)
29. Burn Out: Deep lunge pulse (R)
30. Alternating front lunge
31. Front lunge + squat
32. Front lunge + 2x squat
33. Lunge squat progression (jump lunge to side, jump squat in center, jump lunge to other side)
34. Adductor squat (squat w/ feet/knees/legs together)
35. 2 + 2 adductor squat (start in narrow squat, squat walk to side 2x)
36. 2 + 2 stay low (squat walk to side 2x staying low the entire time)
37. Stay low adductor burn (keep legs/feet/knees together and alternate touching fingertips to outside of opposite foot while staying in low close squat)
38. 2 + 2 knee up (hopping skip raising same knee 2x)
39. Up + over (this is like a knee raise but tap the toe on the outside of other foot–so kind of like a dance move)
40. Up + over + 2x squat (squat jack 2x)
41. Up + over + touch floor (touch finger tips to the floor when squat jacking)
42. Deadliest tap (L) (single lead deadlift keeping right toe on ground)
43. Deadliest knee raise (L) (this time when you deadlift raise right foot off ground then bring right leg to front, raising knee–right foot never touches the ground)
44. Deadliest tap (R)
45. Deadliest knee raise (R)
46. Burn Out: Lunge squat progression
47. Burn Out: Stay low adductor burn
48. Burn Out: Up + over + touch floor
49. Burn Out: Deadliest knee raise (L)
50. Burn Out: Deadliest knee raise (R)
51. Hop squat + hip flexor (4 hops while in squat then runners lunge; alternate sides)

Cool down (3:10 minutes)

Beta Phase: The Beta Phase was not what I expected. Well, it was and it wasn’t. According to the rotation calendar, you start with Core Cardio, but I am not following the rotation calendar so I did Speed 2.0 first. Speed 2.0 is hard! So my first impression of Beta was that it was a huge jump in intensity from Alpha Phase. Then I did the other workouts in Beta and none of them are of the same intensity level as Speed 2.0. Some didn’t even seem more intense than Alpha Phase–just different because you use dumbbells rather than relying solely on bodyweight strength work. I did like all of the workouts and, like Alpha Phase, I can definitely see continuing to use them as either add on/finishers for shorter workouts, as doubles workouts or as warm ups before I do yoga on my recovery/yoga day every week.

Speed 2.0: This was the first workout I did from the Beta Phase and all I can say is Wow. On so many levels. First, I loved the music in this workout. Shaun T always has appropriate music but I do not recall it ever being loud or driving. Well, in this workout it seemed louder than usual and it drove this workout. The moves were athletic and fast, and you (try) to do them to the driving beat of the music. It feels like dancing–dancing hard! I loved it! At first, that is. This workout is non-stop. Literally. 25 minutes of Burn Out with zero breaks. No progressions. It started to seem very much like Insanity! In fact, near the end I started to feel like I was in Insanity Max 30 and was wondering if I would Max Out! However, the difference between T25 and Insanity is that I didn’t max out. I did the entire 25 minutes even tho I was sucking wind by the end. Now, with the cool down, this workout was 27:30 minutes long. According to my Fitbit I was in my peak heart rate zone 20 minutes of that 27:30!! Intense! This is an excellent workout. This workout is set up differently than the others I’ve done so far (Alpha workouts only at this point). First, there were no progressions, so there are no exercises that double as active recovery. Second, this workout is set up in 2 circuits. The first circuit has 8 exercises. You repeat this circuit 3 times. The first time you do each exercise for 30 seconds, the second time you do each exercise for 20 seconds and the third time you do each exercise for 10 seconds. Then you move on to circuit 2. It is done 3 times as well, in exactly the same way circuit one was done. After this you do get a brief jogging recovery, then you do both circuits back to back (so 18 exercises) 3 times! The first two times you run through this double circuit you do each exercise for 10 seconds, the final time? You do each exercise approximately 5 seconds. CRAZY! I am not lying–my right foot was going numb. It was weird. Your feet are moving so fast as you try to keep up with that driving beat. Overall, I did love this workout, but man, it wore me out!

1. Out + out turn (2 jacks front, 2 jacks side, 2 jacks front, 2 jacks other side; your hands are doing a rhythmic kind of thing, too, in time w/ your feet)
2. Quick feet up + back (scissor feet but facing the side)
3. Alternating speed knee slow (hopping knee lifts)
4. Slow mountain climber (standing mountain climbers but done slow so you hold on each foot for a second)
5. Jab out (stand w/ wide legs and jab fast)
6. Low switch kick (an Insanity move!)
7. Speed + agility (scissor, feet together, scissor other foot forward, feet together, two jack feet)
8. Up + over (this is like a knee raise but tap the toe on the outside of other foot–so kind of like a dance move)
9. Repeat 1-8 two more times (3x total–each exercise done for 30 seconds, 20 seconds, 10 seconds)
10. Low cross jack (feet jack but feet cross; arms are bent in front of you and they cross w/ the feet)
11. Hop up + back (wide legs, hop feet forward and back, thrusting hips and hands–ab move)
12. Hop hop squat (two fast hops to side then jump squat)
13. Squat hop up + back (stay in squat and hop forward twice and back twice)
14. Single leg speed knee (L) (keep pulling right knee up fast and to beat of music)
15. Single leg speed knee (R)
16. Jack upper cut
17. Zig zag hop (4 hops side to side and two hop knees)
18. X lunge speed time (hop feet to one side, hop the to other side, hop forward then hop back)
19. Repeat 10-18 two more times (3x total–each exercise done for 30 seconds, 20 seconds, 10 seconds
20. Jog recovery
21. Go through them all again–this time both circuits back to back doing each move for 10 seconds until the 3rd time when you do each move 5 seconds

Cool down (2:30 minutes)

Dynamic Core: Another interesting workout. I really liked it and it had some unique and different core moves. It started out easier than I expected after the intensity of Speed 2.0 but then Shaun T takes you down to the mat and it starts to hurt! Shaun T’s crew was making many loud sounds of pain–including the modifier! This workout really hits your core hard. You start with some standing cardio, then do some standing core then you get on the mat and do lots of core work–plank moves, V sits, and spinal erector training. You work your entire core, front to back. Pretty thorough.

1. Split lunge agility (scissor run but your feet stop together before each scissor)
2. Low switch kick
3. Double switch kick
4. High switch kick
5. Static uppercut
6. Jack upper cut
7. Twisting T abs (the “T” is your arms straight out to sides; legs are in wide squat; pivot from squat to lunge with arms in T; alternate sides)
8. Twisting T abs lower (just squat/lunge even lower)
9. Speed knee kick (L) (while hopping on right foot w/ left leg raised, kick left foot in and out)
10. Hammer kick (R) (with arms straight, bring right leg back behind you, arms overhead, then bring right leg forward into front kick, touching straight arms/fingertips to toe)
11. Speed knee kick (R)
12. Hammer kick (L)
13. Sprint + tabletop (sprint to warrior 3; alternate sides)
14. Crisscross + half tuck jump (one crisscross jack + one half tuck jump)
15. Shuffle + sprint kick (shuffle 3x to side, drop down into sprint start position, come up and do a front kick; alternate sides)
16. Connecting deep squat (while in wide squat, raise both arms overhead then bring hands together under one leg, raise them overhead again and bring hands together under other leg; keep alternating sides)
17. Torso lift (lay on back on mat, legs straight on ground and arms straight, hands overhead; sit up, bring hands to hips then raise arms overhead)
18. Alternating straight leg scissor (lay on back, head raised, palms on ground beside hops; scissor straight legs, never letting heels touch floor)
19. Hip up + reverse crunch (hips raised into crab/table top alternated with V sit, bringing elbows to knees)
20. Butterfly leg lift (L) (sit up with left leg straight out in front of you and right leg bent w/ sole of foot against inside of thigh; lift and lower left leg, heel never touching the floor)
21. Butterfly leg lift (R)
22. Seated knee crossover (L) (still sitting up, left leg straight and raised off ground, tap right heel to opposite side of left leg then to same side of left leg and keep alternating)
23. Seated knee crossover (R)
24. Bicycle abs + V hold (bicycle legs while in V sit alternated w/ V hold)
25. Hands to feet + reverse crunch (seated straight leg forward fold, hands to toes, alternated with V sit crunch bringing elbows to sides of thighs)
26. Side plank hold (L)
27. Superman hold (L)
28. Walking pike up (L) (start in plank and walk feet in until in pike then back out to plank)
29. Rocketman hold (L)
30. Side plank hip up (L) (raise and lower hips in side plank)
31. Side plank hold (R)
32. Superman pulse (R) (hold feet up but pulse hands)
33. Full pike up (R) (starting in plank, jump feet in to pike then back out to plank)
34. Rocketman pulse (R) (hold feet up but pulse hands at sides)
35. Side plank hip up (R)
36. Side plank up + over (L) (while in side plank hold, tap top foot in front of you then behind you)
37. Side plank up + over (R)
38. Plank walk + squat pyramid (plank walk to side then back, then jump feet into squat and jump feet out to plank; each time you jump into squat you add a squat until you are jumping in and out of squat 6 times)

Cool down (3:30 minutes)

RIP’T Circuit: I loved this workout! I was especially excited when I saw that this workout uses dumbbells! Yay! It’s more of a cardio + strength/metabolic workout and I really enjoyed it. For the most part, the workout rotates between cardio moves, upper body strength, lower body strength and core. Kind of like a bootcamp workout. The dumbbell selection was a little questionable. Shaun T and one of the men were using 12 pound dumbbells and the two women used 5 pound dumbbells. In addition to the low impact/beginner modifier, there is another modifier who is using a resistance band instead of dumbbells. Now, because I did a total body strength workout yesterday and have one scheduled for tomorrow, I used this as primarily a metabolic workout and I still used 12 and 15 pound dumbbells. If this is to be an actual strength training workout, it seems like at least one person in the workout should be using heavier dumbbells. And why are the women in these workouts always the ones using the piddliest weights? Why not just have the beginner modifier (a woman) use the 5 pound dumbbells and the other woman use something more respectable and realistic for “strength” training?  It is just insulting, I think. But regardless of that, I loved this workout. It worked excellent as a doubles workout but I also think it would work very well as a finisher to a total body strength workout (but with heavier dumbbells). The dumbbell poundages listed below are what I used. As mentioned earlier, Shaun T and the others only had one set of dumbbells each so they used the same weight for everything,

1. Slow control jog
2. Squat push up (get into a wide squat w/ hands on your thighs; push yourself off thighs like you are doing a push up–so hands stay on the thighs and you do a “push up” while in squat”)
3. Palm down squat thrust (do a squat while pushing fists down between legs (wrists crosses) and when you stand, press fists down beside hips while doing a small hop)
4. Alternating straight leg kick
5. Speed + agility
6. Reciprocating bicep curl (12# DBs)
7. Deep lunge pulse (L) (12# DBs)
8. Deep lunge pulse (R) (12# DBs)
9. Alternating straight leg lift (lay on back, head/neck raised; scissor straight legs touching fingertips to opposite toe)
10. Alternating speed knee fast (high knee runs)
11. Arnold press (12# DBs)
12. Weighted squat pulse (15# DBs) (holding both DBs between thighs, pulse in wide squat)
13. Dual heel tap (sit on bottom in C sit, palms beside hips; tap heels out straight then bend knees and bring heels in, tapping them on mat)
14. High switch kick
15. Single leg (L) lawnmower (get into a lunge and do one arm rows w/ left arm) (15# DBs)
16. Single leg (R) lawnmower (15# DB)
17. Air plank + one leg burpee (jump out into one leg burpee and when you jump in, legs are wide and you hop)
18. Hip up + V hold (hip up = reverse plank; alternate between reverse plank and V hold)
19. High jump + twisting abs (hop then squat, twisting torso and tapping outside of foot w/ opposite hand; alternate sides)
20. Single leg (R) tricep press (tricep dips on mat w/ right leg crossed over leg)
21. Single leg (L) tricep press
22. Deadlift + curl squat (15# DBs) (deadlift, hammer curl DBs and squat, holding DBs at top of bicep curl)
23. Knee in + out tap down (start in plank, walk feet in and out, then both knees to floor; alternate these two moves)
24. Half tuck jump
25. 4 count wide push up
26. Weighted moving squat (12# DBs) (hold DBs at shoulders and squat walk twice to one side, the twice back)
27. 4 count dual leg lift (lay on back, head/neck raised and arms raised straight to ceiling; raised and lower straight legs to count of 4)
28. 5 count power abs (hold each position for the count of 5: C sit w/ palms beside hips and feet on floor; one leg butterfly each leg to count of 5; reverse crunch (bent leg boat w/ elbows at knees); and V sit w/ palms on floor at hips)

Cool down (3:15 minutes)

Upper Focus: This workout was much easier than I expected. I did like it, but it was much lower key than what I’ve come to expect from Shaun T. I also thought Beta month would really be kicking it up a lot. I guess doing Speed 2.0 as my first Beta workout really misled me on the intensity and level of these workouts. This is an upper body workout, as advertised, with cardio recoveries. The cardio isn’t intense cardio. It really is recovery. And the key to making this workout work for you is to use the correct weights. Just like in RIP’T Circuit Shaun T and the other guy used only one set of dumbbells–12 pounds, the women both had piddly 5 pound dumbbells and Andy used the band. I used 8, 12 and 15 pound dumbbells but could definitely lift heavier if I ever do this workout again. Which I don’t know that I will. With the right dumbbells it might work nicely to finish off an upper body workout. I’m not certain tho. When I do a cardio + strength workout, I like my cardio to be more intense. The dumbbells listed below are what I used.

1. Split lunge agility
2. Low switch kick
3. Double switch kick
4. High switch kick
5. Static uppercut
6. Jack upper cut
7. Plank hold (high plank)
8. Starter drill + burpee (from standing, squat and put hands on floor, jump feet back into plank, jump feet back in and stand)
9. Basic push up
10. Starter drill + push up
11. Chest opener (do plie squat w/ hands down between legs, stand, raising straight arms overhead and wide)
12. Chest opener + jump (add a jump when raising arms overhead)
13. Shoulder press (12# DBs) (overhead shoulder press)
14. Arnold press (12# DBs)
15. Alternating front raise (8# DBs)
16. Dual side raise (8# DBs)
17. Cardio Recovery: Sprint + jab punch
18. Single arm fly (L) (15# DBs) (chest fly)
19. Single arm fly (R) (15# DBs)
20. Dual arm fly (15# DBs)
21. Dual arm fly + V leg hold (15# DBs) (continue to do chest fly w/ legs raised but lowered into V sit)
22. Cardio Recovery: Straight arm double jack
23. Cardio Recovery: Double jack + alternating toe tap (toe tap is straight leg kick/raise touching toe w/ opposite hand)
24. Sumo alternating row (15# DBs) (back row)
25. Sumo double row (15# DBs)
26. Sumo hip thrust (15# DBs) (squat, bringing DBs down between legs and stand, thrusting hips forward and pulling shoulder back, bringing DBs behind hips)
27. Sump upright row (15# DBs) (sumo squat into upright row)
28. Cardio Recovery: Shuffle + heisman (3 shuffles to side, then raise one knee (Heisman) and hold)
29. Cardio Recovery: Shuffle + heisman turn (same as #28 but turn to the side when doing Heisman)
30. 90 degree hold bicep curl (L) (12# DBs) hold left arm/DB at 90 degrees while doing a bicep curl w/ right arm)
31. 90 degree hold bicep curl (R)
32. Dual bicep curl
33. Reciprocating bicep curl (simultaneous curls)
34. Cardio Recovery: Single arm jab (L)
35. Cardio Recovery: Single arm jab (R)
36. Bent knee hip up (tabletop/crab; raise and lower)
37. Bent knee tricep dip
38. Straight leg hip up hold (reverse plank)
39. Cardio Recovery: Shuffle + half tuck jump (shuffle 4x to side then 4 half tuck jumps back to where you started)
40. Side plank up + over (L) (in side elbow plank, bring top leg (left leg) to the front and tap the ground then to the back and tap the ground)
41. Side plank up + over (R)
42. Alternating shoulder press (12# DBs)
43. Alternating bicep curl (12# DBs)
44. Basic push up
45. Hip up + V hold (alternate tabletop/crab with V-sit hold)

Cool Down (3:25 minutes)

Core Cardio: This workout is basically just a cardio workout with some plank work at the end. I liked it. It isn’t nearly as intense as Speed 2.0 and it is set up in Alpha Phase fashion with exercise progressions and Burn Outs. I really liked it. I will definitely use this workout again. No equipment is needed for this workout.

1. Split lunge agility
2. Low switch kick
3. Double switch kick
4. High switch kick
5. Static upper cut
6. Jack upper cut
7. Hop forward + back (hop forward and back fast w/ feet wide)
8. Hope side + side (feet still wide, hop fast side to side)
9. Alternating speed knee slow (a high knee skip)
10. Alternating speed knee fast (high keen run)
11. Twisting X lunge (hopping into a very shallow lunge to the side; so hop to left shallow lunge, hop back to center, hop to right shallow lunge, hop back to center)
12. Twist X lunge deep (same as #11 but lunge deeper)
13. X lunge touch shin (same as #12 but go even lower touching fingertips to front shin)
14. X lunge + touch floor (same as #13 but you go so deep you touch your fingertips to floor)
15. Demi squat walk (shallow squat side to side)
16. Deep squat walk (deeper squat side to side)
17. Squat walk + touch floor (same as #15 & #16 but touch the floor w/ finger tips of both hands at bottom of squat and when you stand, bring arms straight out in front of you with palms flat as if you were doing a plank on the floor–but you are not, you are standing–this is the “air plank” part of #18 below)
18. Air plank jump (jump squat w/ the “air plank” arms as described in #17)
19. T twist front pulse (pulsing plie squat w/ arms out straight at side in a “T’)
20. T twist lunge pulse (L) (pulsing lunge w/ arms out straight at sides in a “T”)
21. T twist lunge pulse (R)
22. Rotating T twist (pivoting feet from side to side in lunge w/ arms in T)
23. Burn Out: Alternating speed knee fast
24. Burn Out: X lunge + touch floor
25. Burn Out: Air plank jump
26. Burn Out: Rotating T twist
27. High jump in place (shallow squat hop w/ feet/knees together)
28. Control hop side + side (same as #27 but hopping side to side)
29. Double hop rotation (start facing left; hop to front then to right, then to front then to left)
30. Single hop rotation (180 squat jumps–but keeping feet/knees together)
31. Hammer kick (L) (with arms straight, bring right leg back behind you, arms overhead, then bring right leg forward into front kick, touching straight arms/fingertips to toe)
32. Speed kick (L) (while hopping on left foot w/ left leg raised, kick right foot in and out)
33. Hammer kick (R)
34. Speed kick (R)
35. Shuffle feet (fast feet)
36. Shuffle + hop up + back (add hoping forward then back when Shaun T tells you to)
37. Shuffle + squat (hop up + back changes to a squat)
38. Shuffle + burpee (squat changes to a burpee)
39. Plank tap feet out + in (while in plank alternate tapping feet side to side)
40. Plank tap arms out + in (while in plank alternate tapping hands out to side)
41. Plank diagonal tap (tap right hand and left foot at same time, then left hand and right foot at same time and keep alternating)
42. Plank diagonal lift (same as #41 but tap changes to lift)
43. Burn Out: Single hop rotation
44. Burn Out: Speed kick (L)
45. Burn Out: Speed kick (R)
46. Burn Out: Shuffle + burpee
47. Burn Out: Plank diagonal lift
48. Floor sprints (mountain climbers)
49. Running spider lunge (wide mountain climbers, so feet come outside of hands)
50. Body sprint (standing scissor run w/ runners arms)
51. Full body run (scissor run becomes wider and arms are now straight and scissoring too)

Gamma Phase: This phase was not exactly what I expected, but for the most part, I liked it a lot. It was definitely harder than Alpha and Beta and it was more focused on strength training. 3 of the 4 workouts used dumbbells. The workouts in this phase have a lot of potential. I can see using them in lots of ways. Primarily as finisher/add-ons after another strength workout , but also combining two of the strength workouts together for an hour long strength workout. Also combining them with other T25 workouts. For example, RIP’T Up which is upper body with Alpha’s Lower Focus for a total body workout. Another idea is Extreme Circuit with Beta’s RIP’T Circuit for an hour long total body workout. Lots of potential with this entire program!

RIP’T Up: This was the first workout I did in Gamma Phase and I really liked it. It wasn’t easy but it also wasn’t as hard as I was expecting. It is an upper body strength workout. Just like in Beta Phase, the dumbbells used by Shaun T and crew did not make sense to me. One of the men was using 8 pound dumbbells. For almost everything. It just isn’t realistic. He s a muscular man. He did not get those muscles with 8 pound dumbbells. I won’t waste anymore words on it tho. The point is, use a variety of dumbbells and ones that actually challenge you. There are some different things happening in this Gamma strength workout. First, some of the crew actually does use two sets of dumbbells. But one is very light (3 pounds) and the other is heavier (5, 8 or 12–whatever that person is using for everything else). The very light dumbbells are used for strength exercises done in “superman” pose, so light dumbbells are very appropriate for those exercises. The moderators do not use any dumbbells for the superman moves. The moderators are the same as in Alpha and Beta–a female doing beginner modifications, and in Beta–Andy, who uses the band. The other thing that is different about this workout, is that Shaun T also gives you an option for some of the back exercises–either do the rows with dumbbells or do pull ups if you have a chin up bar available to you. The other male crew member does the pull up variations. With the right weights, this is a challenging workout that will burn your muscles out. Shaun T’s crew members were making a lot of pain noises as the workout progressed. I used 15, 12, 10, 8 and 3 pound dumbbells and I will need to go heavier on some of the exercises next time I do this workout. There are some exercises that seriously start to burn you out because you do them for so long. Anyway–a great, fast-paced upper body strength workout. All of the dumbbell weights listed below are the weights I used when doing this workout.

1. Split lunge agility
2. Low switch kick
3. Double switch kick
4. High switch kick
5. Static upper cut
6. Jack upper cut
7. Wide row (15# DBs)
8. Single arm row (L) (15# DBs)
9. Single arm row (R) (15# DBs)
10. Straight arm fly (3# DBs) (while in superman bring straight arms/DBs from in front of you, around to your bottom)
11. Lat pull down (3# DBs) (still in superman, bring straight arms/DBs in front of you then pull down to goal post)
12. Recip Hammer Curl (12# DBs) (simultaneous hammer curl)
13. Tricep kickback palms up (8# DBs)
14. Tricep kickback palms down (8# DBs)
15. Recip wide curl (12# DBs) (wide simultaneous bicep curls)
16. Single leg (L) shoulder press (12# DBs) (stand on left leg, hold both arms/DBs in goal post; do one arm overhead press w/ left arm)
17. Single leg (R) shoulder press (12# DBs) (same as #16 except on right)
18. 4 count push up
19. Upright row (12# DBs)
20. 2 count push ups
21. 90 degree shimmy (8# DBs) (hold arms/DBs in front of you, elbows bent, DBs should be in front of face, palms facing each other; raise and lower DBs (Recip/simultaneously) only a few inches)
22. 90 degree shoulder shrug (8# DBs) (same thing as #21 except hold DBs together–so you are lifting them together, not simultaneously)
23. Basic shoulder shrug (15# DBs) (holding DBs at sides, shrug shoulders)
24. Standing rocketman (8# DBs) (DBs still at sides, rotate DBs from the front of you to behind back, then back to front–you are holding the DBs away from the body several inches)
25. Recip lawnmower (15# DBs)
26. Deadlift + knee raise (L) (15# DBs) (single leg deadlift w/ knee raise)
27. Deadlift + knee raise (R)
28. Deadlift + shoulder shrug (15# DBs) (double leg deadlift + shrug)
29. Recip push press (15# DBs) (narrow/close grip chest press)
30. Dual push press + knees 90 degrees (15# DBs)
31. Recip push press + 6″ hold (15# DBs) (legs straight and 6 inches off ground)
32. Dual push press + scissor legs (15# DBs)
33. Down dog + plank
34. Down dog + alt leg plank (one leg plank; alternate legs)
35. Down dog + alt leg push ups (one leg push ups; alternate legs)
36. Down dog + oblique push up (push up while bringing same side knee to elbow)
37. High hook
38. Low hook + squat hold
39. Low jack upper cut
40. Crossdown punch jack
41. Superman pulse (3# DBs) (pulse hands/DBs in superman)
42. Rocketman pulse (3# DBs) (pulse hands/DBs in Rocketman)
43. Single leg dual curl (L) (12# DBs) (stand on left leg while doing bicep curls)
44. Single leg dual curl (R) (12# DBs)
45. Single leg (L) Tricep press (10# DBs) (stand on one leg while doing overhead tricep extensions)
46. Single leg (R) Tricep press (10# DBs)
47. Arm push up jack (jack arms in and out while doing a push up)
48. 4 count curl press (L) (12# DBs) (bicep curl to overhead press while standing one one leg)
49. 4 count curl press (R) (12# DBs)
50. 2 count curl press (L) (12# DBs)
51. 2 count curl press (R) (12# DBs)

Cool down (3:20 minutes)

Extreme Circuit: What an excellent workout! I loved this workout! More than any other T25 workout I’ve done so far, this one really lets you work the muscles hard. It is structured differently than the others. This workout consists of 5 circuits. Each circuit contains 4 exercises. You do each exercise for one minute then finish the circuit with a Burn Out; for the burn out, you repeat each exercise in the circuit for 15 seconds. You also usually do them at a faster pace than when you did them for a minute. If the exercise favors one side of the body, during the minute of work you do each side for 30 seconds. I had all of my dumbbells set out like I usually do but I found myself sticking with 8 and 10 pound dumbbells a lot more than I expected. One minute is a long time when you are doing one exercise right after the other with no recovery/rest–my muscles were really burning out! Each exerciser only has one set of dumbbells and they use the same dumbbells for every exercise. The women each have 5 pounds dumbbells, Shaun and one of the men have 12# dumbbells and Andy uses the band. The man with the 12 pound dumbbells also used a pull up bar for some of the exercises, so you also have that option if you have a pull up bar available.

1. Alt heel tap (12# DBs) (these a like low switch kicks while holding DBs)
2. Upright row (10# DBs)
3. Dual shoulder press (8# DBs) (overhead shoulder presses)
4. Alt knee crunch (8# DBs) (holding DBs in front of face w/ elbows bent at a 90 degree angle; alternate raising knees and touching them to elbows–but the knees are what move, the arms are held stationary)
5. Burn Out: repeat 1-4 doing each exercise for 15 seconds (8# DBs)
6. Alt front kick 90 degree hold (10# DBs) (hold DBs in a static bicep curl (so at 90 degrees) while doing alternating front kicks)
7. Dual hammer curl (10# DBs)
8. Hammer curl + squat (10# DBs) (hammer curl and hold DBs at shoulders, squat then stand and lower DBs)
9. 90 degree straight leg hold (L) (10# DBs) (lift left leg and hold it straight in front of you for 30 seconds)
10. 90 degree straight leg hold (R) (10# DBs)
11. Burn Out: Repeat 6-10 for 15 seconds each (9 & 10 actually become straight leg kicks while holding DBs at sides) (10# DBs)
12. Weighted burpee (10# DBs) (burpees w/ DBs)
13. Tricep push up (DBs)
14. Weighted squat (15# DBs)
15. Plank Crunch (in high plank, tap both knees to floor while tucking hips in)
16. Burn Out: repeat 12-15 for 15 seconds each (I used the same DBs as when doing the exercises for one minute)
17. Elbow mountain climber
18. Burpee + front kick
19. Recip bicep curl (L) (12# DBs)  (you will be in a lunge for this–so left leg forward, done for 30 seconds)
20. Recip bicep curl (R) (12# DBs)
21. Plank walk + spider lunge (one plank walk to side, spider lunge outside leg, plank walk back to start and spider lunge other leg)
22. Burn Out: repeat 17-21 for 15 seconds each (you don’t do #20) (12# DBs)
23. Wide fly + hip thrust (10# DBs) (rear delt fly, stand and push hips forward)
24. Shoulder press twist (10# DBs) (get into deep wide squat; do overhead press, pivot to side into lunge and do overhead shoulder press, pivot back to deep front squat and do overhead shoulder press, pivot to other side into lunge and do overhead shoulder press)
25. Walking ski abs (start in high plank and walk feet up to side of body, touching inside knee to opposite elbow; alternate sides)
26. Deadlift + hammer curl (15# DBs) (single leg deadlift w/ bicep curl at top; alternate legs)
27. Burn Out: repeat 23-26 for 15 seconds each (I used the same DBs as when doing the exercises for one minute)

Cool down (3:20 minutes)

Speed 3.0: After doing Speed 2.0, which I like a lot, I was dreading this workout. Even tho I liked Speed 2.0 it was very hard. So I assumed Speed 3.0 would be a nightmare. It wasn’t. It was harder than 2.0 but oddly, not more intense. To illustrate, Speed 2.0 is 27:30 minutes long and I was in my peak heart rate zone 20 minutes of that time. Speed 3.0 is also 27:30 minutes long and I was in my peak heart rate zone only 14 minutes of that time. So not only did it feel mildly less intense, but according to my Fitbit, it actually was. But it is harder, if that makes sense. There are a lot of burpees in Speed 3.0. A lot. You also have the super fast footwork–and some of it seemed even faster and more complex than it was in 2.0. The big difference in 3.0 was recovery. Each circuit had at least one exercise that (IMHO) doubles as a recovery move. In 2.0 the intensity never left up. But in 3.0, some of the exercises let you catch your breath. That leads me to the way this workout is structured. It is structured basically the same as 2.0. It is constructed of 2 circuits. Each circuit contains 10 exercises. You do the first circuit three times then you do the second circuit three times. The first time you do each circuit you do each exercise for 30 seconds; second time you do each circuit, you do each exercise for 20 seconds; the 3rd time you do each circuit you do each exercise for 10 seconds. You get a 30 second jogging recovery then you do all 20 exercises (so circuit 1 and 2, back to back) for 10 seconds each. You get another jogging recovery (this one 20 seconds) and you do it again–all 20 exercises, back to back–this time you will do each exercise for approx. 5 seconds! It is intense but, for me at least, not quite as intense as Speed 2.0. If you hate burpees you will hate this workout. Me? I love burpees, so I loved it! Oh! This is important–this is the only workout in the entire program with no modifier. Everyone is doing this workout at the same level.

1. Out + out turn (2 jacks front, 2 jacks side, 2 jacks front, 2 jacks other side; your hands are doing a rhythmic kind of thing, too, in time w/ your feet)
2. 180 degrees quick feet up + back (scissor feet–8 counts in each direction–side, front, side front)
3. 1-2-3 “T” (1-2-3 Heisman moving to right, 1-2-3 Heisman moving back to start, 1-2-3 Hesiman moving back, 1-2-3 Heisman moving back to start)
4. Moving quick jab (2 jabs to each side while doing jack feet)
5. Hop hop turn (two fast hops to as you turn to side then jump squat–so you will turn 180 degrees each time)
6. Push up + In & out abs (push up, jump feet in and out wide, then jump back to standing)
7. Jab + power lunge (8 front punches while in lunge + 4 plyo/jump lunges)
8. Squat hop + crisscross (3 squat hops forward, one criss-cross jack, 3 squat hops backward, one criss-cross jack)
9. Burpee + plank walk (jump down to plank, plank walk to side and back, then jump feet in)
10. Plie jab (in plie squat do fast front jabs)
11. Repeat 1-10 two more times (1st circuit each exercise is done for 30 seconds, 2nd circuit each exercise is done for 20 seconds, 3rd circuit each exercise is done for 10 seconds)
12. “T” drop + alt knee in (Squat jump 2x with arms straight out at sides + hoping knee lifts 2x)
13. Burpee + spider lunge (jump out into plank, spider lunge each leg, jump in to standing)
14. Jab + squat thrust (2 jabs each arm, then squat down and thrust hips forward 2x)
15. Burpee + push up jack (burpee to plank, 2 push up jacks, jump feet back and stand)
16. Speed knee + up & over (two fast knee raises each leg + up & over which is like a knee raise but tap the toe on the outside of other foot–so kind of like a dance move)
17. Burpee + ski abs (jump down to plank, jump feet up to one side, back to plank then jump feet up to other side, back to plank, jump feet in and stand)
18. 2 + 2 power knee (2 power knees each side and keep alternating)
19. Burpee + pike up (burpee to plank, jump feet in toward hands in pike 2 times, jump feet in and stand)
20. Squat jack + jog back (2 squat jumps forward then jog back)
21. Burpee + front kick (burpee and when you stand, kick left then right)
22. Repeat 12-21 two more times (1st circuit each exercise is done for 30 seconds, 2nd circuit each exercise is done for 20 seconds, 3rd circuit each exercise is done for 10 seconds)
23. Jog recovery (30 seconds)
24. Repeat 1-10 then straight into 12-21 (each exercise is done for 10 seconds)
25. Jog recovery (20 seconds)
26. Repeat 24 (each exercise is done for 5 seconds)

Cool down (2:25 minutes)

The Pyramid: This workout was something of a disappointment. I expected to like it more than I did. I tend to like a lot of pyramid workouts I do but this one you do so many reps that it gets kind of boring. I also felt like it didn’t give me the kind of strength training or metabolic training I am looking for. It is actually hard to pinpoint what I didn’t care for, but the end result is the same–I just don’t want to do it again. The workout is made up of 10 pyramids. After doing 5 cardio moves to warm up, you do 10 pyramids total. However you do them in sets of 3. After doing 3 pyramids you get a short cardio recovery then move on to the next 3 pyramids. The workout ends with a single (10th) pyramid that is different from the rest. All of the pyramids consist of 2 exercises that you alternate. They are set up in one of 2 ways. The first way is to always do one of the exercises once and each time you repeat, you add one rep to the other exercise: 1 + 1, 1 + 2,  1 + 3. The other way is the number of reps of both exercises progresses together : 1 + 1, 2 + 2, 3 + 3. You will do between 6 and 11 reps of the exercises. The amount is noted in the breakdown below. Some of the exercises you use dumbbells, some are bodyweight exercises. The dumbbells listed below are what I used while doing this workout.

1. Slow control jog
2. Jack feet
3. Double jack feet
4. Front raise jack (jumping jack but raising straight arms from thighs to overhead in front of body)
5. Push jump off knees (with feet together, do a squat jump and while squatting, press palms down on thighs and when you jump, push off with hands, working triceps)
6. Pyramid 1: Hammer curl + squat (12# DBs) (1 hammer curl + 1 squat, 2 hammer curls + 1 squat, 3 hammer curls + 1 squat, and so on up to 8 hammer curls)
7. Pyramid 2: Deadlift + upright row (12# DBs) (1 deadlift + 1 upright row, 2 deadlifts + 2 upright rows, 3 deadlifts + 3 upright rows, and so on up to 6 each)
8. Pyramid 3: Front kick + side lunge (L) (no DBs) (1 front kick + 1 side lunge, 2 front kicks + 2 side lunges, and so on up to 6 each) (do pyramid again but w/ kick and side lunge on R)
9. Up + over (this is like a knee raise but tap the toe on the outside of other foot–so kind of like a dance move)
10. Pyramid 4: Down dog + pike up (no DBs) (1 down dog + 1 pike up, 1 down dog + 2 pike ups, and so on up to 11 pike ups–but always only 1 down dog)
11. Pyramid 5: Clean press + walk up & back (10# DBs) (1 bicep curl to overhead press + step forward then step back, 2 bicep curls to overhead press + step forward then step back, and so on to 7 bicep curls to overhead presses)
12. Pyramid 6: left arm hook + squat (no DBs) (1 hook punch + 1 squat jack, 2 hook punches + 2 squat jacks, and so on to 7 of each) (repeat the pyramid again but w/ right arm hook)
13. Jack + speed + agility (scissor, feet together, scissor other foot forward, feet together, two jack feet)
14. Pyramid 7: Child’s pose + push up (no DBs) (1 child’s pose + 1 push up, 1 child’s pose + 2 push ups and so on to 9 push ups–but always only 1 child’s pose)
15. Pyramid 8: Same arm + same leg (R) (no DBs) (lay on back, arms and legs straight; raise arm and same side leg, touching fingertips to toe, lower and rest very briefly, raise same side arm and leg 2x, lower and rest briefly, raise 3x and so on to 8x) (repeat pyramid on left)
16. Pyramid 9: Tricep press + release to 90 degrees (1 overhead tricep extension then lower arms to 90 degrees at side, 2 overhead triceps extensions then lower arms to 90 degrees at side, continue until you are doing 7 overhead tricep extensions)
17. Shuffle + knee heisman (3 shuffles to side, then raise one knee (Heisman) and hold–when you do the heisman, you are also turning to the side, then turn back to front to shuffle)
18. Pyramid 10: 5-count butterfly (C-sit with one leg straight and other leg bent so sole of foot touching inside of thigh; raise both legs a few inches off floor and hold each leg in this position to count of 5, then to a slower count of 4, then to an ever slower count of 3 and the count gets slower as the count down progresses until the 1 count is excruciatingly slow)

Cool down (3:30 minutes)

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